B= = AQUATIC CENTRE OPENING, January 10, 1990 Lifeguards must stay on toes By ED MILLS Staff Writer It sounds like a cushy job, t sing around the pool all day, taking a dip every now and then, or just kicking back in the high chair ta takeinall the scenery. But that description is not the reality of a lifeguards job. The reality is that they always have to be prepared because unlike others who are there to have fun in the pool, the lifeguard has to be ready at all times to execute the most important, if least used, aspect of the job — saving lives. Because no matter how innocent and inviting the warm, blie water appears, it can be deadly. That’s why the lifeguards who will patrol poolside in the new Aquatic Centre are trained in CPR. That's why they are expert swim- mers who are trained to anticipate a potential problem befof& it hap- pens. But even with that training, and all the classroom hours and prac- tical experience, sometimes the worsthappens. | It has happened twice to Jackie Luker in her five years as a qualified lifeguard. “Yeal ve had to go in acouple of times,”’ she said. Fortunately, neither time was very serious, but Luker says the possibility of something dangerous developing is always there when people and water mix. As the senior lifeguard at the Aquatic Centre, Luker will oversee a team of 11 (nine women, two men) and, like them, she too went through a week’s worth of orien- tation at the pool in December. Luker says a new facility presen- ts a number of problems to prospective lifeguards and because many of the guards haven’t worked at a pdol as big or as diverse as the Aquatic Centre, Luker says they have to be ‘‘extra prepared this the orientation session covered everything from lesson planning and programming to skills dealing with the public. And since the facility is also a new experience: for Castlegar residents, Luker says it was impor- tant that the guards were comfor- table and knowledgeable about the Pool will hel By ED MILLS ‘Staff Writer The one thing missing from the list of features in the Castlegar and District Aquatic Centre is the one thing swim clubs in this city will probably need. Sure there’s the whirlpool, the sauna and the training area, not to nention the regulation starting, tlocks and regulation-size pool and lanes. But by all accounts, what the swiin clubs in this city are going to need once their seasons start is an extra-large trophy case. Assuming that the clubs will want to house the spoils of victory at their new home base, then the Aqua Centre had better have room because all coaches agree the new facility can do nothing but good for their teams. And these are teams — the Castlegar Aquanauts, the Stanley Humphries high school squad and the Robson River Otters (though the Aquatic Centre won't actually be the Otters’ home, the team will use it) — that haven't been slouches in the past when it came to leaving the competition high and dry. The Aquanauts, who will start practising at the Aquatic Centre later this month, have been one of the top teams in the region since the club started 27 years ago, says president Gord Gibson. And the team has achieved its success swimming only in the summer at the Bob Brandson pool, which Gibson: says was not an ideal facility for competitive swimmers. Now, with thé Aquatic Centre ready for use, son says, ‘‘I think we'll have an even stronger team. We've always had swimmers place high in provincial champion- ships and now I think we'll move even higher . . . into the top 10 in the province.” But the pool, with its modern facilities, will do more than just help the team in competition, says ibson. It will also help swimming asa sport in this city. **1 think it will encourage year- round swimming and will likely in- crease the numbers in the club and even help us branch out into other activities like water polo and syn- chronized swimming,’’ says Gib- son. For SHSS coach Mike Balahura, the new pool has one major prac- tical benefit for his team — less travel. Balahura and his swimmers had to travel to Nelson to use that city’s indoor facility every time the team wanted to practice. It was a major headache for Balahura but it didn’t seem to do the team any harm if results are taken into consideration. The SHSS team has won the West Kootenay Championships for the past nine years ina row. Still, Balahura says having the facility close by enables him to schedule more practice time and offer year-round accessibility to the water, something he says is ex- tifeguards at the Castlegar and District Aquatic Centre have gone through training sessions to get them familiar with th pool. All are qualified in CPR and other life-saving technique: swim teams tremely important to competitive swimmers. In addition, Balahura will now be able to accommodate a larger team which was impossible before because of transportation con- siderations. ‘We've had to cut kids (from the team) in the past because we couldn’t transport them all into Nelson,”’ he said.?‘Now, kids that would once be cut will be able to swim and hopefully get some suc- cess fromit.’” Balahura agrees with Gibson on the positive impact the indoor pool will have on the sport in this com- munity. “I would anticipate that there will be even more kids getting into the sport of swimming,"’ Balahura said. ‘‘Other than the competitive end of it, there’s no question it’s an excellent lifelong activity, and now that we have an_indoor facility we'll be able to get kids and keep kids interested in swimmjng longer.’” As the vice-principal responsible for kids with special needs in Castlegar, Balahura says the facility can also offer his students something. “1 work with kids with very special needs — physically han- dicapped kids. For those kids, say someone with cerebral palsy who is confined to a wheelchair, when pool before the public arrived. Castlegar and District recreation coordinator Verona Walker, who chose the 12 guards from the ap- proximately 30 who applied for the job, says they represent a cross- section of the community from college and high-school students to women returning to the workforce anda former fitness instructor. ‘*& lot of them have worked for us (the rec department) in the the Bob Brandson a first-year physical education student at Selkirk College, says there’s more to being a lifeguard than what most people see when they. come tothe pool. “Lifeguarding is very rewar- ding,’’ she said. ‘‘To teach someone how to swim is so rewar- din, “To have an adult (who can’t swim) get over the fear of the water, to teach them that is just an incredible feeling, that’s all.’” The Aquatic Centre will likely be the forum for that experience many times for. Luker and the other guards at the Aquatic Centre in the coming years. they get in the water they can move,"’ he said. ‘‘It’s a small population (of special-needs kids) but we're really excited about the opportunity to be able to use_the pool.”” - Robon River Otters president Reg Shingler says the swimmers in his club are also excited with the chance to swim year-round. He says there’s no doubt it will help the club when the season starts in the summer. “I think it will give them a jump start on the beginning of the season . and there’s no question about the kids will be using it for their own fun and for practising on their * said Shingler. Name now familiar ~ By CasNews Staff Building the new 22,000- square-foot Castlegar and District Aqgatic Centre has without doubt made Nu-Tech Construction Ltd. of Castlegar a familiar name inthe area **In terms of notoriety, this is the most important job, no question,"’ Nu-Tech president Paul Semenoff said. But the 27-year-old Nu-Tech founder modestly avoids making a big deal about the largést project the young com- pany has so far undertaken. “Every job we do is impor- tant,’’ Semenoff said. While the building itself is a fairly simple construction of structural steel and concrete blocks, Semenoff said making sure the building can withstand the humidity and sometimes wide differences in temperature inside and outside the building was a more difficult task. Asa result, the Aquatic Cen- Semenoff’s grandfather was a carpenter and he said Nu- Tech is ‘‘basically a family- oriented operation’’ employing three full-time workers and one part-time worker. He said Nu-Tech’s future plans include getting more in- volved in the design aspect of housing and small commercial developments. rl Ges stte: Wy A AEEDATSESEERD COREE RESER MAADUUUHLONOOONNEUOLIE cy > Tie al steel railings. gates ond stairways ore @ uniquely personal way 10 add beauty and value to your home. any budget call the experts Zap Welding. Now booking for spring orders. Qu! of town Congratulations on the Grand Opening. We are proud to have been the miscellaneous metal supplier for the new Aquatic Centre. ZAP WELDING “We have the Metal to Build the Kootenays! 352-6978 NG Aa ; } ; & Associates reative Advertising & Marketi: We are pleased to have been entrusted with the installation of the PLUMBING, HEATING & VENTILATION system in this fine new facility. Congratulations to All! West Kootenay Mechanical Ltd Phone Trail 364-1541 — Box 225, Trail, B.C. VIR 4L5 Congratulations and Best Wishes... CARPETS 2313-H-6th. Ave.. Castlegar 365-2265 Call Collect AQUATIC CENTRE OPENING, January 10,1990 C9 Congratulations To the residents of Castlegar & ¢ District on the Grand Opening of our new Aquatic Centre. We're pleased to have done the landscaping . for our new centre. John Chang, owner of Chang's Nursery and Florists Ltd. in Castlegar has helped to' beautify homes & businesses in the West Kootenay for the last 10 years. COMPLETE NURSERY STOCK ® Tropical Plants ¢ Hanging Baskets ® House Plants- © Flowers ® Shrubs ® Bedding Plants © Perennials ¢ Instant Sod ¢ Fertilizers & Garden Equipment. “A COMPLETE LANDSCAPING SERVICE Residential and Commercial 365-7312 Chang’s Nursery & Florist Ltd. cS a 2601-9th Ave. Castlegar